1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector with anti-wicking terminals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the present application, a conventional electrical connector includes a plurality of surface mount terminals 9 received in a plurality of passageways 81 of an insulating housing 80. Each terminal 9 comprises a vertical base plate 90, a horizontal soldering portion 91 extending outwardly from a bottom edge of the base plate 90, two mounting arms 93 extending inwardly from two lateral sides of the base plate 90 and three vertical engaging portions 92 extending upwardly from the two arms 93 and a top edge of the base plate 90, respectively. A solder pad 71 is disposed between each soldering portion 91 and a printed circuit board 7 for soldering the terminals 9 to the printed circuit board 7 by using surface mounting technology (SMT) by subject the solder pads 71 to a heat source, for example, an infrared radiation. In the prior art, molten solder may climb upwardly along a bottom face of the soldering portions 91 and then an inner face of the base plate 90 and the mounting arms 93 to contaminate engaging faces 922 of the engaging portion 92. Thus, a signal transmission quality will be adversely affected between the connector and a complementary connector (not shown). Accordingly, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with anti-wicking terminals which can effectively prevent molten solder from flowing upwardly to contaminate engaging portions of the terminals when the connector is surface mounted to a printed circuit board.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, an electrical connector of the present invention comprises an insulating housing and a plurality of terminals, wherein the insulating housing has a plurality of passageways and the terminals are received in the passageways. Each terminal is formed with a base plate in a corresponding passageway near a central rib of the housing. A pair of mounting arms are received in the corresponding passageway and extend outwardly from two sides of the base plate to fixedly engage with an outer wall of the housing. Two engaging portions are received in the corresponding passageway and extend vertically upwardly from the mounting arms, respectively. Each engaging portion has an inner face for electrically engaging with a pin of a complementary connector. The terminal further has a step portion horizontally outwardly extend from a bottom edge of the base plate. A solder tail extends horizontally outwardly from a bottom edge of a vertical section of the step portion beyond an outer face of the outer wall. Both the solder tail and the vertical section of the step portion are located below a bottom face of the housing. The solder tail has a bottom face for surface mounting to a printed circuit board. The step portion has a horizontal section received in and extends substantially across a bottom of the corresponding passageway.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.